Posters of bouffants, poodle cuts and pin-curled waves line the walls. Classic vanities and vintage collectibles fill the room.

The window proclaims: “The higher the hair, the closer to God!!”

Though the decor of Ultra Lux Salon & Lounge might feel like a blast from the past, this Redondo Beach hair haven is anything but dated.

The vintage vibe is a nod to the hair goddesses of the 1940s and ’50s, to the eras that inspired South Bay natives Deanna Serna and Tricia Delgado to open the salon six years ago.

“When it comes to fashion, it’s all about history repeating itself,” said Delgado, 34. “Just with a little twist.”

For Ultra Lux, that twist comes in leopard print and polka dot chairs, punk rock and reggae on the stereo, and 21st century hairstyles and techniques.

“We like so many different eras,” said Serna, 28. “We incorporated our loves and passions into the salon.”

And more than the ‘dos of the silver screen, Serna and Delgado love to make clients feel stylish and pampered.

“When your hair is done right, you always feel cute,” Delgado said.

Ultra Lux prides itself on helping clients find the right hairstyle, whatever their preferences may be.

“We’re very well rounded when it comes to hair,” Delgado said. “Our fashion choices are not what our clients will choose.”

Ultra Lux serves 70 to 100 clients a day, both men and women, the “super-edgy” and “very conservative,” and the young (there’s one very stylish 5-year-old girl who always knows what she wants) and the old (85-year-old “Blowdry Betty” comes in once a week), Delgado and Serna said.

Appointments are divided equally between haircuts and coloring, and about 20 percent of clients come in for vintage looks, usually for special occasions and events, Serna said.

Luckily, to be styled like Lana Turner or Rita Hayworth today doesn’t require sleeping in curlers and an afternoon of patience.

“I could probably dry your hair by blowing on you faster than by using this,” says Delgado, holding a small vintage blow-dryer (it works, but it’s just for show).

Even with its bounty of vintage hair tools and products, Ultra Lux strives for the cutting edge.

“Hair is changing as we speak,” said Delgado, noting that the salon’s 10 beauty operators, whom she calls a family, frequently attend classes to keep current.

“You’re never done learning.”

Just as the classes help stylists stay fresh and motivated, Serna says she encourages clients to view their hair in the same way.

“People get stuck in (the same hairstyle) for years,” said Serna, who changes her own hairstyle every six months or so. “We like to go with the flow, evolve.”

Whether working with clients who know exactly what they want or with those who are just looking for a change, Ultra Lux aims to personalize each cut or color.

For example, many women have come in lately wanting the angled, asymmetrical bob made famous by singer Victoria Beckham, wife of LA Galaxy star David Beckham.

“We want to figure out how we can change it up a little so it becomes your hairstyle and not Victoria Beckham’s hairstyle,” Delgado said.

A pre-cut or pre-color consultation can help ensure client satisfaction, Serna said, noting that sometimes stylists and clients don’t always see eye to eye.

“If you promise them something they can’t have, you’re the one who’s going to be sorry,” she said.

Delgado, who began her career at the age of 11 by cutting her grandfather’s hair, says she’s learned to read a client’s level of happiness. For those who don’t seem truly satisfied, she calls to offer follow-ups.

But given that most of Ultra Lux’s customers come from word of mouth, or followed Delgado and Serna from the Manhattan Beach salon where they used to work, bad hair days are rare.

The salon offers clients a well-stocked refrigerator of beer, wine and soda during appointments, and sends them postcards on their birthday. Each year, it also raffles off gift certificates at the Blessing of the Hair – a vintage car and motorcycle show with drinks, live music and vintage clothing and jewelry retailers – and hosts a Cut-A-Thon to benefit charity.

“We just love everything about pampering yourself and making yourself beautiful, and helping others do the same,” Delgado said. “We just want to offer something the salon up the street won’t.”

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